


.high places

by AkaToMidori



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: AU, Comedy, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:01:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21939385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkaToMidori/pseuds/AkaToMidori
Summary: Hearing the words‘take-off,’it was all Sho could do not to whimper pathetically in public. Even if the plane was completely still, his hands grabbed the armrests of his chair on both sides and clamped on them. He had closed his eyes too for good measure when he heard a voice calling out to him.“Excuse me? I think you’re in my seat.”
Relationships: Aiba Masaki/Sakurai Sho
Comments: 7
Kudos: 51
Collections: Sakuraiba Tanabata 2019-2020





	.high places

**Author's Note:**

> Another year, another Sakuraiba Tanabata is starting - that magical time of the year where Aiba and Sho are the same age for a month. In honor of that, Yuuki_Nyanmaru and I decided to post a drabble a day for every day of the Tanabata leading up to Sho's birthday on the 25th of January. We've chosen 32 prompts for 32 days: 10 we picked together, 11 we picked by ourselves and kept secret from the other, and the last one we picked for one another. We hope that these drabbles will keep you warm and thinking about Sakuraiba! 
> 
> _Dec 24_  
>  Prompt: "Look at me; just breathe, okay?"

Sho squirmed in his seat as the speakers croaked with the voice of one of the flight attendants asking the passengers to sit down as soon as possible, so that the plane could commence take-off. 

Hearing the words _‘take-off_ ,’ it was all Sho could do not to whimper pathetically in public. Even if the plane was completely still, his hands grabbed the armrests of his chair on both sides and clamped on them. He had closed his eyes too for good measure when he heard a voice calling out to him. 

“Excuse me? I think you’re in my seat.” 

Sho looked up to see a man holding a plane ticket to show him the number of his seat. 

“Oh,” he said, “yes, actually, I have the one next to the window, but if you don’t mind swapping…” 

The man smiled and nodded, thanking Sho as he got up to let him sit. “Nervous flyer?” he inquired. 

Sho shot him a desperate look. “Is it that obvious?”

The man chuckled merrily. “You just gave up the front row’s window seat, which is probably the most coveted seat in the whole plane,” he explained, “you’re either someone who uses the bathroom a lot, or you’re really, _really_ afraid of heights.” 

“Oh, no, going to the bathroom would mean getting up while the plane is in the air. Are you crazy?” 

“The second, then,” the man concluded with a smile. 

Sho nodded, his hands back to clinging to his chair. 

“I’m Aiba Masaki,” the man introduced himself bowing his head in his direction. 

“Sakurai Sho.”

Aiba’s eyes fell to Sho’s hands, noticing the white knuckles as he grabbed the armrests with force. “So,” he began, “business or pleasure?”

“Damn business,” Sho replied with clenched teeth. 

Aiba chuckled again, amused by the reply. “Is this the first time you get on a plane?” 

“It’s not, but I’m usually joined by colleagues or friends, and it’s easier to get distracted. Also, I usually take anxiety pills when I know I have to fly, but I have to take them for a week for them to be effective, and this was a last minute work thing, and… And I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this…” Sho concluded, glancing sideways to where the other man was. 

“I just have one of those faces.”

“What faces?” 

“You know, the trusting kind,” he stated. 

Sho snorted a bit despite himself. “You say that yourself? You’re very confident aren’t you?” he added, when he saw Aiba grin. 

“I’ve been told confidence is sexy,” he shrugged. 

Sho laughed as he felt his neck flush a bit, but this time not because of his fear. He stole a glance at Aiba while the other pulled out a neck pillow from his bag, and started noticing the little details he hadn’t noticed so far. He was wearing a fluffy white sweater and washed out jeans. On his black hair slicked back, he had a pair of sunglasses with blue lenses. He looked every bit of a model, and Sho wouldn’t be surprised if he learned that he was actually one. 

  
  


The take-off and the rest of the trip weren’t as bad as he thought they would be with Aiba by his side. He had fun listening to the man speak and tell him about his life back in Tokyo. Sho learned that Aiba wasn’t a model, but that he worked in TV as a variety host for some popular programs. Sho, who never had time for anything on TV that wasn’t news programs, had to confess that he had never watched any of them, but that the names sounded familiar. Aiba’s life sounded so interesting that they talked for hours and time flew away until they both dozed off, lulled by the buzzing of the airplane still in the air.

  
  


Sho was awakened with a jolt as he felt the plane tremble. His eyes filled with terror as the captain was announcing on the speakers that there was a bit of turbulence to pass before they could start landing. Sho’s hands clenched on the armrests and his eyes squeezed shut as he started hyperventilating. That was it, he was going to crash to his death in a stupid metal tin because humans thought it would be cool to fly! 

In the panic, Sho barely registered the sound of a belt unlocking and something being dropped in the free seat next to him. He opened his eyes when he felt something touch his cheeks and realized that Aiba was now sitting next to him, grabbing his face with both his hands and turning it towards himself so that Sho couldn’t help but stare at him.

“Look at me–just breathe, okay?”

Sho nodded. Aiba’s eyes were so intense, and they were drawing him in. He had the most beautifully shaped eyes he’d ever seen, and the little laugh wrinkles all around them just added to the charm. He focused on every detail of Aiba’s face he could, from his nose, to his cheeks, down to his plump and inviting lips. He briefly wondered how much time had passed like that, and found himself hoping that it would never end, so that he could stare at Aiba some more. 

“Sir? Excuse me, sir?” 

Under Sho’s entranced gaze, Aiba seemed to snap from his daze, finally looking up at the hostess who was trying to draw his attention. 

“Please fasten your seatbelt, we’re about to commence landing.” 

Aiba’s hands slipped from Sho’s face and went to look for the seatbelt. “Ah! Sure, sorry.”

Sho followed Aiba’s long fingers as he clicked on his seatbelt, and then looked up to see the man looking back at him with a gentle smile. 

“Are you okay now, Sakurai-san?” 

“Sho.”

Aiba raised one eyebrow in a question. 

Sho cleared his voice. “You saved my life, you know. You’ve earned the right to call me by my first name.” 

Aiba’s smile got bigger as he giggled. “Alright then, Sho-chan.”

  
  


When they got off the plane, Sho lost sight of Aiba. He had hoped to see him one last time to properly thank him for everything, and maybe even ask him if he wanted to hang out when they would both be back in Tokyo. Have a drink, maybe grab dinner… Sho knew it was hopeless to ask a guy like Aiba out, but he would try at least. 

As he waited to collect his luggage, he put his hands in his jacket’s pockets to shield them from the cold, and a frown appeared on his forehead when he touched something in the right one. He took out a piece of paper he didn’t recognize and opened it. 

‘ _Sakurai-san, I hope you won’t freak out when you see this note I slipped in your pocket, but you look so cute when you sleep and I’m actually too shy to tell you to your face. I had a great time talking to you, and I would love to get together again when you’re free. Would you let me take you out for dinner? — Your plane buddy, Aiba Masaki_.’

Sho smiled as he saw the phone number scribbled at the bottom of the paper. He pocketed it again and grabbed his luggage from the conveyor belt. He would send a text to Aiba as soon as possible, maybe see if they could catch the same flight back, and then who knew… 

The sky was the limit.


End file.
